Method of premelting scrap for open-hearth furnaces



rarenrerr master CLIFTON B. Jorrnson, 'o E VER, rnnnsr'nvnnm.

METHOD or Pnn uELrin'dscnAP-ron OPElI-HEARTH summons.

' No Drawing".

To all 107mm it-may mm; 1 1 Be itlrnovvn that L'C'Lrr'roN B. JoHNsoN,

a citizen of thellnited States, and. aresia dent of Beaver, inthecounty of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, 'haveinvented anewand useful Improvement in Methods of Premelting Scrap forxOpen-Hearth Furnaces,

, of Whichthe following is aspecification.

i the scrap before charging it into the open noltcirbath of iron.

Open hearth furnaces are heated by blowis in the middle of the furnace.

hearth furnace. i

The objects of the invention are to furnish a method of charging open hearth furnaces which will result in a material saving of fuel and which will greatly increase the tonnage production of steel in a given furnace} In the openhearth process of making steel the furnace is charged with a certain amount of iron. This is either in the form of pigs, or some other form of high carbon iron, and is ordinarilycharged into the furnace either in the molten state, or else as solid iron: Usually this is melted first, and then the scrap which must be added-to the base charge is introduced into the furnace. This is usu ally done by charging thejscrapin a ladle or spoon-like container through an opening in the furnace, the container being inverted and the cold scrap poured in on top of the ing upon the surface of the metal a blast formed by combustion of gas, liquid oil,

powderedcoal, or the like, Ordinarily the furnace is heated to a temperature of 2900 to 53100 F. during the refining period."- In order to secure this high temperature it is necessary to supply fuel at a high rate, and theoretically combustion takes place immediately upon the entry of the fuel, the gases of combustion being constantly blown outby the incoming blast, the burning fuel being exposed to the incandescent metal for a very short period of time. The burning gas after passing over the metal and at the point of exit from the furnace is nearly as hot as it Consequently, open hearth furnaces are extremely available for use for melting metal. By'my to the melting point, or possibly even to Application filed lanuar'yi'ZB, 1921. Serial No. 440,752.

inefficient from-the. point of view of fuel consumption compared with the heat imparted; to themetalthereby. Much more efiicient forms of furnaces are known, and

method of melting scrap a temperaturewof only 2400? to2700 F. Will be sufficient for melting as the refining Willbe done in the open hearthfurnace; r q

When theicold scrap is dumped into the open hearth it lowers thetemperature. of

the molten basicc'harge and of the entire furnace and alarge period of time isnecessary thereafter for Jbringingwtheufurnace t after the addition of scrap up toxthe required temperature for refining. My invention consists in melting the scrap in a bath of molten metal before charging it into the open hearth furnace. This pre-melting mayibe done in any suitable form of supplementary container or furnace, Which may be called a melter, and there are available for this purpose many furnaces which give a relatively high efficiency compared to the fuel consumption of an open hearth furnace. The particular form of furnace or melter used for pie-melting the scrap is not a part of my invention, and is therefore not illustrated and described. a In the practice ofmy mvention I draw off from any suitable source, as .for example a Bessemer converter,,afcharge of molten metal. This is to'run into the movable melter, 'above refe1'1ecl to, until a suflicient quantity has been poured into it to form portion, is dumped into thismolten bath of low-carbon iron. The 'heatfof the molten metal is sufficient to raise the scrap almost melting, dependent upon therelative term bath. Then the solid scrap, in proper properatures and amounts of thetWo forms of material, The molten bath covering the.

solid scrap preventsits oxidation during the melting process, as Wellla's assisting in melting it. Additional heat is added. if required by means oi a fuel. blast upon the surface of the moltenjbath, and after the scrap has been melted the melter is tilted,

pouring its contents into aladle' which is transferred to the open hearth and emptied thereinto.

The metal for formingthis preliminary bath is preferably partially decarbonized, and may bereferred to as a low-carbon iron,

although this is not a part of the invention, and anymolten metals suitable for charging into an open hearth may be used.

By this method, I am enabled to treat a charge in an open hearth furnacein several hours less time than that required by the present methods. In addition I am enabled to bring my charge of scrap to a molten state With a very much less expenditureof fuel than is necessary Where the temperature of scrap is-ralsed entirely' int'he open hearth furnace; Therefore, this process-1am complishes the double object of increasing the'tonnage production of open hearth furnaces 'by cutting downthe time for producing the charge, and of reducing the amount of fuelrequired fortreatmg a given charge;

Such additionalxheat as is necessary to melt the scrap after it. has been placed in the molten bathis supplied by suitable. blasts or other application of heat. For example,

I'may use a-melter Whichis so made'ithat a blast of air may beblown up through the molten charge, afterthe scrap is introduced. This air blast passing through the carbon,

silicon, etc., in the molten iron produces a reaction similar to that in: a Bessemerzconverter, and raisesthezheat'in the molten bath sufficiently to melt the scrap: Furnaces having the-necessary perforations for effecting this process are already Well known and in. use and thereforeI do not claim or illus trate them herein. a

The many uses and advantages of my invention Will be apparent tothose familiar with the art.

I claim: I v Y 1. In open hearth steel making, the methou of melting. scrap before charging; it into. the

open hearth furnace, comprisingthe introduction of a charge. of molten metal to a melt'er, the dumping of scrap intothelmolten bath, the heatingof the mixture to the melt in'g: pointiof the Whole, and the subsequent chargingvthereofinto the open hearth fur nace.

2; In open hearth. steel making, the method i of pre-melting'thescrap before-charging it HARRY ANDERSON, DAVID is rnwAnr; 

